When a dog is lost, reuniting it with its owner is much easier when it’s licensed.

But not all owners buy licenses for their dog — a problem for many towns.

“I don’t think it’s a huge problem, but it’s definitely a problem and a concern,” Plainfield Animal Control Officer Karen Stone said. “A lot of it is, I think, people are unaware they are supposed to register their dogs.”

Griswold Animal Control Officer Larry Proulx agreed. He said he finds that most people claim ignorance of the state law requiring dogs 6 months or older to be licensed.

“About 80 percent say, ‘I didn’t know you had to register them,’ ” Proulx said. “And then I have people who move into town, and they call me and ask, ‘Where do I register my dog at?’ ”

Connecticut’s dog license law has been around since 1963, according to Raymond Connors, the supervisor for the state’s animal control division of the Department of Agriculture. Dogs are considered personal property, which is why the law requires them to be licensed, he said.

Stone and Proulx find most people are compliant when they’re told of the law. But Proulx said one reason people don’t register their dog is the cost.

In Connecticut, it costs $8 to license a neutered or spayed dog; $19 for an unneutered or unspayed dog, and the fee is due annually by June 30.

Tom Collins, of Moosup, said there’s no hassle or inconvenience to paying the annual fee for his registered dog, Princess. But some people, he said, may neglect to pay the registration fee out of laziness.

“A lot of it, I think, they get a dog, and the dog gets big, they don’t want to put the expense out,” Collins said. “I think it’s mostly the young people, they slack off. They might mean well, but they’re so wrapped up in themselves.”

Tom Desrosiers, of Salem, brings his dog, Meatball, frequently to the Pawsitive Park dog park in Norwich, as well as dog parks in Waterford and Colchester. But for a long time, he said, he hadn’t had Meatball registered.

“I didn’t because I am pretty lazy,” Desrosiers said with a laugh. “I just procrastinated too long. To save $8 a year? It’s a lot easier than paying the fine.”

If left unpaid, an unregistered dog could cost an owner $75 for the infraction. With late fees, such as an extra $1 per month, Desrosiers estimated he paid more than $200 to get caught up, and Meatball is now registered.

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“Certainly the town makes very little money on licensing,” Plainfield Town Clerk Louisa Trakas said. “Most of the money we collect gets sent to the state. It’s not about money, it’s just about public safety.”

Rabies worry

Those public safety concerns, Trakas said, include disease.

“It’s really all about rabies,” she said. “People don’t get it because they’ve never seen it. They don’t think of it as a threat because they’ve never seen it as a threat.”

Connecticut, which saw a surge of rabies cases in 1991, requires rabies vaccinations for all dogs 3 months or older. Booster doses of the vaccine are recommended every two years. Connors said the fine for being caught with an unvaccinated dog is $136. Owners cannot get a dog license unless their pet is up to date on rabies vaccinations.

Town officials, such as in Griswold and Plainfield, try to work with dog owners so they don’t have to incur the $75 infraction for not registering. Stone said she tries to let people know early in the year about registration and vaccination requirements.

“We get a list of dogs in town, and delinquent dogs in town, and we send out friendly reminders,” Stone said. “Dogs are supposed to be licensed in June every year. We let them know, if they don’t, that we will give them an infraction.”